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Human
:"The potential to make yourself a better man...that is what it is to be Human...to make yourself more than you are." : - Jean-Luc Picard in Humans (Homo sapiens) were a humanoid species that originated from planet Earth in the Sol system. Humans were one of two known spacefaring intelligent species to have originated from Earth; the other being the Voth that now reside in the Delta Quadrant. Overview As the Latin word for their homeworld was "Terra", Humans were sometimes referred to as "Terrans". (This usage was consistent in the mirror universe.) Occasionally the term Terran was used to distinguish Humans living on Earth from those resident on colonies on other planets and moons. Some people used the adjective "Terran" to refer to subjects or institutions associated with Humanity (Terran cuisine, Terran literature, Terran art, etc.). A founding member of the United Federation of Planets, Humans of Earth became warp-capable in 2063, which was the same year they experienced first official contact with an alien species, the Vulcans. The first warp-drive was engaged on April 5th of that year by Zefram Cochrane. By the 24th century, Human society had changed from what it was for most of recorded history. On Earth, hunger, war, disease, famine, and poverty had largely been eliminated. The acquisition of wealth was no longer the primary driving force in the lives of many Humans. A great deal of emphasis was placed on the importance of continued social and personal development. Thanks to the non-currency based New World Economy and the development of replicators, material needs were largely satisfied. Although money was no longer used by Humans within the Federation, they did use gold-pressed latinum and other forms of currency (such as Bajoran litas and credits) in places where it was still needed, such as Quark's. The idea behind not using money being that Humans work to better themselves and the rest of Humanity (see Human philosophy). ( ; ) It must be noted that all of this more specifically applies to Humans within the Sol system, as many Earth colonies are known to have developed vast cultural differences from other Humans and some have even fallen into chaos, most notably Turkana IV. , a Native American of Amerind]] While achieving warp capability in 2063, there were Human populations on other planets prior to this. In these cases, they would usually have been brought there by alien species, who had traveled to Earth. For instance, Native Americans had been transplanted on Amerind by an unknown alien race called the Preservers some time in the 19th century. In 2268, they still lived as hunters and gatherers. Captain Kirk was adopted into one of the tribes of Amerind as the god Kirok. ( ) Biology Bilaterally symmetrical bipedal primates, Humans were a warm-blooded humanoid species with an average lifespan of around 120 years, although some individuals achieved a much older age. They had two hands and two feet, each of which had five digits. They had evolved from the australopithecines. ( ) At least three sentient species of Humans existed on Earth: Homo sapiens, Homo floresiensis, and Homo neanderthalensis (the Neanderthals). These species coexisted for some time until first the Neanderthals became extinct, followed by Homo floresiensis, leaving only one species of Human in the present. Humanity's closest living relative was the chimpanzee. ( ) The Human species was one of the more distinct sentient groups present in the Milky Way Galaxy as, while they did not possess any dominant or noticeable bony ridges around their face or on their bodies as was common to many races throughout space, they did possess a great deal of phenotypic diversity within their species. Skin color, eye color, blood type, facial structures, hair color, and hair type varied considerably between individuals and made nearly every single Human distinct in appearance from the next. An exception to this was in the case of identical twins, an anomaly that occurs in approximately three in every 1,000 Human births. They had two sexes, as was common to many humanoid species. The female of the species was fertile once a month after she reached puberty (between the age of twelve and sixteen) until the onset of a biochemical stage known as menopause (between the age of 45 and 55). Human gestation lasted nine months. The make-up of Human DNA structure was significant, as, with some modifications, it allowed them to crossbreed successfully with a wide range of other races across the galaxy, including Vulcans, Klingons, and Betazoids. On average, Humans were not as physically strong as some species such as Klingons and Vulcans but they were resilient. They were more adaptable to incarceration than Klingons. ( ) They could survive with one lung or kidney (they had two of each normally), and they could go days without water and weeks without food due to their bodies' ability to conserve water and live off stored fat. Their bodies' efficient temperature regulation allowed them to resist and survive cold temperatures that would adversely affect other species such as Cardassians and Klingons, or high temperatures that would be uncomfortable for an Andorian. They also possessed more acute hearing than Cardassians. ( ) Generally it is accepted that other species view Human personality as one of strong, occasionally overwhelming emotions, such as love, hatred, embarrassment and elation. This is most unlike the Vulcans were one can easily define their personality by their strong use of logic. Humans had iron-based hemoglobin in their blood. Each individual's blood had one of eight types depending on the presence or absence of three antigens called A, B, and Rh. The most common blood types among them were O+ and A+. Culture Humans were easily the most outworldly, idealistic and expansionistic race in the United Federation of Planets, and possessed those qualities in a greater degree than many of the alien races they would encounter. Humans had no true specialty or extraordinary qualities and were average in both a technological and physical sense. The Devore inspector Kashyk remarked that Human culture had many contradictions, violence and beauty, science and faith, all somehow mingled harmoniously, similar to the counterpoint of a musical composition. ( ) Because Humans were the Federation species most interested in space exploration, they made up a large majority of Starfleet. The fact that Starfleet was originally a pre-Federation Earth organization also contributed to the Human dominance of Starfleet. Humans also made up the majority of colonists on Federation colonies. Human adaptability and their strong tradition of innovation and cooperation brought them to the forefront of the current Federation interstellar situation. It was for this very reason, however, that Human society was constantly changing and evolving. This was seen not only on the isolated colonies, where the past traditions brought by culturally and geographically homogeneous blocks of colonists compete with new cultural pragmatism demanded of frontier life, but also in the staid and settled core worlds as well. Fashion, speech and especially political views were constantly changing. For species that were steeped in tradition and genealogical reverence as the basis of their societies, the Human fascination with the novel experience and their unending desire to innovate and explore, to discover for the sake of discovery, were all difficult concepts to grasp. Jazz music persisted into the 24th century and became a contribution to galactic culture, as did opera music. Humans played music collaboratively in a format known as "classical music." Competitive sports from Human cultures also became part of Federation culture in various ways. Sports played in the 24th century included soccer (also known as "football"), fencing, and wrestling. Other Human sports included water polo, baseball, and hockey. Humans expressed themselves through various art forms. One such art form was known as dance. ( ) Human cuisine had a broad spectrum, and was shared widely with other cultures. Humans were omnivorous, unlike vegetarian Vulcan culture. A small sampling of Human dishes enjoyed by other species included pecan pie and chocolate. Human foods were often connected to a place, a language, or a family and were a part of a richer cultural experience, such as jambalaya and oden. Human mating rituals sometimes involved a cultural ceremony known as a wedding to indicate a lasting commitment, as in other cultures such as Vulcan and Klingon. Human culture evolved to eliminate war, poverty and disease by the year 2113. Humanity's children In later centuries, Humans expanded on their desire to seek out new life by turning inward, demonstrating their abilities to create new life in their own image. The stronger, more intelligent and physically resilient 20th century Augments may or may not have qualified as a separate species, but following his experience with Augments in the 22nd century, Dr. Arik Soong abandoned genetics for cybernetics. His work was continued and fulfilled by Dr. Noonian Soong, who created the sentient Soong-type androids, including Lore, B-4, Juliana Soong, the nearly perfect reproduction of his then comatose wife, and Data, the first android to be officially ruled by Federation law as sentient, and who proved capable of reproduction by creating his own daughter, Lal. ( ; ; ; ) Humans also used holographic technology to sprout new sentient life, beginning with the first self-aware holographic character, James Moriarty in 2365. The work of Dr. Lewis Zimmerman on Emergency Medical Holograms birthed The Doctor, Humanity's most complex photonic lifeform developed in the later twenty-fourth century. ( ; ) Alternate timelines * In an alternate timeline, Humanity was assimilated by the Borg in 2063 after the Borg prevented first contact between Humans and Vulcans. This timeline was erased when the [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-E)|USS Enterprise-E]] traveled back in time from year 2373 to 2063 and caused the first contact to take place. ( ) * In another alternate timeline, Humanity was nearly wiped out by the Xindi in 2154, who destroyed not only Earth, but Mars, the Alpha Centauri colony, and the Vega colony, so only 6,000 Humans survived. These Humans escaped to Ceti Alpha V. The alternate timeline was obliterated in 2165. ( ) Mirror universe In the mirror universe, Humans were known as Terrans and were the founders of the Terran Empire. They were filled with fear and suspicion when a Vulcan scout ship landed on Earth to initiate first contact in 2063. The Humans slaughtered the Vulcan crew and used the technology within to create an interstellar empire. ( ) This Empire lasted centuries until it was overshadowed by the equally vicious aspirations of the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance. Although many races in the mirror universe harbored hopes of forming a peaceful alliance to protect civilization, Terrans were rarely found among these rebels due to the wealth and safety afforded by their violent expansionist policies. ( ) Other information * The Borg designation for Humans was "Species 5618". Humans were considered by the Borg to possess below-average cranial capacity, minimal redundant systems, and limited regenerative abilities. ( ) * The Klingon, Vulcan, and Ferengi words for Human were both spelled exactly the same ("Human"), although the Klingon was pronounced with a rough fricative, much like the "ch" in "Bach" or "Loch",and the Vulcans changed it to "Khuman". Klingons also referred to them by the name of their home planet Terra, tera'ngan, and the Ferengi changed the pronunciation of the "a" in Human, pronouncing it as "hyu-mon". * Q once stated that the Human race would one day become more powerful than the Q. ( ) Appendices Related topics * Human history * Human philosophy * Cetacean * Humans ** Unnamed Humans * Augment * Neanderthal * Human Recreational Activities * Human Foods and Beverages * Examples of Human Artists, Musicians and Works of Literature Background Humans are the only species to have made an appearance in almost every episode to date of all six Star Trek series and all eleven films (except ). In addition, the plurality of the lead characters of every Star Trek series so far have been Human. External link * de:Mensch eo:Homo es:Humanos fr:Humain it:Umano ja:人類 nl:Mens pl:Ludzie ru:Люди Category:Earth Category:Species